Charges filed in short-lived bank robbery

A Tippecanoe Villa resident suspected of robbing a West Lafayette bank last Friday had been contemplating a bank heist for some time, court documents allege.

The resident, Sheryll L. Adams, 56, of West Lafayette was charged Wednesday in Tippecanoe Superior Court 2 with robbery, a Class C felony, and theft, a Class D felony.

She was being held Wednesday afternoon on a $10,000 surety bond in the Tippecanoe County Jail.

Adams is accused of holding up Lafayette Bank & Trust Co. at 2329 N. Salisbury St. -- a block east of the West Lafayette Police Department -- about 5:30 p.m. Friday.

No weapons were involved.

Within minutes, officers stopped a taxi in which Adams and another Tippecanoe Villa resident were passengers. That passenger went into Lafayette Bank & Trust with Adams, but investigators do not suspect that she was involved in the robbery.

Tippecanoe Villa is an assisted-living home run by Tippecanoe County.

According to a probable cause affidavit filed with the charges, Adams had invited the other woman to go shopping at Walmart. A taxi picked them up from Tippecanoe Villa.

Adams asked the taxi driver to stop at Lafayette Bank & Trust first.

She's accused of handing a note demanding cash to the bank's manager. The note also said not to "try and be a hero" and to get the money if the bank employee "wanted to walk again."

Adams allegedly told investigators that she had been thinking about robbing a bank for a long time and had written drafts of notes to hand to tellers because she wanted money "to get things she needed and wanted."

Officers recovered a bag containing approximately $1,000 from the taxi.

Adams reportedly gave $20 to the other woman, who was looking at a display in the bank when Adams' allegedly handed over the note.

-- Sophia Voravong/svoravong@jconline.com

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Charges filed in short-lived bank robbery

A Tippecanoe Villa resident suspected of robbing a West Lafayette bank last Friday had been contemplating a bank heist for some time, court documents allege.The resident, Sheryll L. Adams, 56, of